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| Sham marriage raids: Ten people arrested | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ten people have been arrested as part of a nationwide operation to target sham marriages. | |
| About 40 officers from the Home Office immigration team carried out early-morning raids in Leicester, Loughborough, London and Peterborough. | About 40 officers from the Home Office immigration team carried out early-morning raids in Leicester, Loughborough, London and Peterborough. |
| About 20 weddings involving African nationals dishonestly seeking British residency rights are being examined. | About 20 weddings involving African nationals dishonestly seeking British residency rights are being examined. |
| Immigration officers had been tipped off by staff at the Leicester Register Office following a suspicious wedding. | Immigration officers had been tipped off by staff at the Leicester Register Office following a suspicious wedding. |
| The raids in Leicester took place at addresses in Belgrave, Highfields and Weston Park. | The raids in Leicester took place at addresses in Belgrave, Highfields and Weston Park. |
| Other raids were at one address in Loughborough and Peterborough and two in London. | |
| 'Victimless crime' | |
| The 10 people arrested - both men and women - are Portuguese, Nigerian and Irish nationals. They were held on suspicion of conspiracy to breach immigration laws. | |
| They are suspected of involvement in an organised crime group believed to have been arranging fake marriages between Portuguese and African nationals. | |
| Immigration inspector Andy Ratcliffe said officers had been collecting evidence for about two years. | |
| He said: "From the initial report we built up a picture of people who have been suspected of organising the sham marriages and the beneficiaries, and it has culminated in the arrests of those believed to be involved. | |
| "The Home Office is taking tough action on the organisers of sham marriages. It is a victimless crime but it is organised criminality and people are making a lot of money out of it." | |
| Mr Ratcliffe said the costs of each marriage varied but people often paid between £5,000 and £10,000 for the wedding and arrangement of an application to remain in the UK. |